A day at Tokyo Disneyland

The sounds of excited kids filled the room and I smiled as I rubbed at my bleary eyes. Wake them up for school and they burrow deeper into the comforts of the bed; promise them a trip to Disneyland and they are up before the cocks even dream of crowing. As a child in an adult’s body, I can definitely relate to their excitement.

Natsume was already dressed and Saicho had one of his shoes on. The other pair was somewhere in the hotel room but I guess I should leave it up to their mother to find the missing footwear.

I got up and padded over into the bathroom for a quick shower and gave my teeth a good brushing. I heard my sister-in-law admonish the children’s rowdy behavior, followed by my older brother’s laughing reprimand. Daniel and Kaoru were as different as night and day but it was their differences that made them such an amazing team and a force to be reckoned with. Kaoru also happened to be the only woman who can talk my brother out of those moods of his that he was rather famous for back home.

I smiled and ran a comb through my blonde hair. Yes, Kaoru was definitely good for Daniel and if the effect she had on two kids bound for Disneyland was any indication of her parenting ability, I would be taking notes at her knee the moment I decided to have kids.

We arrived in Disneyland by way of the JR Maihama Station and from there, the theme park was only a few minutes’ walk. It was good exercise for the kids and a way to let out all that exuberance. They would have been unable to remain seated on the train if it wasn’t for their mother’s guidance. Really, Kaoru rocked motherhood.

The moment the kids were released into Disneyland, they squealed and Kaoru let them run around for a bit, smiling indulgently at them, before calling them back to her side.

We decided to grab a bite in one of the first restaurants we saw before exploring the seven themed lands included in the park.

The first we visited was the World Bazaar, which was nearest to the park’s main entrance. The streets were lined with shops that sold items like souvenirs and other Disney-themed knickknacks. Kaoru and I looked at each other and grinned. No doubt about it, this was where most of the shopping would occur.

I really can’t recall how I managed it throughout the day running after the kids, stuffing my face with hotdogs, and putting my credit card through its most exhausting day in history. All I knew was that Saicho would live in Tomorrowland if he could. The outer space-themed land was enough to turn the fancy of any seven-year-old who wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up.

Natsume, on the other hand, preferred the whimsy of Fantasyland, which had the iconic castle of Cinderella at the very heart of it. She was also enthralled by Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, which, from what I gathered, was a tourist attraction unique to Tokyo Disneyland.

I, myself, preferred the rustic beauty of Critter Country and had a blast with the Splash Mountain log ride.

By the time we made it back to our hotel, Kaoru and Daniel each had a child in their arms. Because I decided everyone back home deserved a souvenir, my arms were full of Disney toys and whatnot.

Before drifting off to bed, I heard Daniel laughingly asked me if I had a good time. With a yawn, I answered him, "Y’know, you can take the girl out of Disney but you really can’t take Disney out of the girl."

His chuckle was the last thing I heard before I gave myself up into the sweet embrace of slumber.